The Chicago Bears have designs on becoming a dominant team in the NFC and potentially representing the conference in the Super Bowl. They certainly have a long way to go with 17 weeks of the season remaining, but they have gotten off to an excellent start after registering an overwhelming 59-37 triumph over the Carolina Panthers in the opening week of the season.
The Bears were spectacular on offense, scoring double digit points in each quarter. The architect of the triumph was quarterback Caleb Williams. He followed up on his remarkable play in the second half of the 2025 season with a brilliant opening game. He completed 21 of 29 passes for 269 yards with 2 touchdowns and he also ran 10 times for 65 yards and 2 touchdowns.
The Panthers had tied the game at 31-31 in the third quarter, but the Bears ran away from the home team by scoring the next 21 points over a span of slightly more than 11 minutes. Bears fans throughout the stadium made their presence felt by offering a âÂÂGreen Bay sucksâ chant that the TV broadcasters made mention of because it was so loud.
In addition to Williams' impressive performance, the Bears received a huge boost from their running game. Primary running back D'Andre Swift had 18 carries for 124 yards and 3 TDs and backup RB Kyle Monangai had 100 yards on 10 carries, including a 61-yard burst for a score late in the third period.
Panthers quarterback Bryce Young tried to keep up with the Bears' explosive offense. He completed 23 of 37 passes for 361 yards with 3 touchdowns and 1 interception.
The Bears will try to win their second straight game when they host the Vikings in Week 2, while the Panthers will try to rebound against the Falcons.
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